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Copywork
About This Passage
Here Burnett analyzes exactly why the misunderstanding happens, and the cause is Sara's own virtue. Because Sara is unusually courteous, 'punctilious about being quite polite,' she cannot bring herself to contradict the formidable Miss Minchin, even to defend herself. The long, balanced sentences trace the psychology precisely: Sara's politeness, the flush of feeling, and the social pressure of Miss Minchin's certainty all combine to silence her. Copying this passage lets a student study how an author can explain a character's inner conflict with subordinate clauses and careful logic.
If Sara had been older or less punctilious about being quite polite to people, she could have explained herself in a very few words. But, as it was, she felt a flush rising on her cheeks. Miss Minchin...
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Summarize Chapter 2, then explain what you think Burnett most wants the reader to notice about Sara and Miss Minchin, and which techniques, such as the gossip of the other girls or the reveal of Miss Minchin's secret, the author uses to achieve that effect.
Discussion Questions
- Rather than simply showing the French lesson go wrong, Burnett stops to explain why Sara stays silent, tracing it to her being 'punctilious about being quite polite.' What does the author gain by making Sara's inner conflict so explicit, and how does that choice shape your judgment of her? Use the chapter's details to explain.
- Miss Minchin silences Sara with 'you must not say but,' then later faults her with 'you ought to have told me.' Does the chapter give Miss Minchin any defensible reason for her conduct, or is she simply in the wrong, and why? Use the chapter's details to explain.
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Vocabulary
Item 1
Very careful and exact about correct behavior or manners.
Item 2
Grand and impressive in a way that commands respect or fear.
Item 3
Showing that you notice and are grateful for something.
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Critical Thinking
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